Shank your way to vengeance

The first thought that popped into my head as I sliced my way through a demo of Shank this week was: I can totally see Danny Trejo doing this.

That’s a compliment, I swear.

Shank, which will be making its way to the download queue of your PS3, Xbox 360 and PC this summer, is a tale of bloody revenge. One, perhaps, that Robert Rodriguez would helm (you must avenge the death of your woman, Eva, and carve your way through the criminal underground). It’s a pleasantly pulp-heavy 2D sidescroller.

It’s part brawler, part animation showcase, all awesome. And it’s another testament to how splendidly AAA downloadable titles are getting.

The controls are tight and responsive, and the combo system allows you do crazy stuff with ease (Shank, as it happens, carries his shivs, a chainsaw, and two handguns for maximum enemy facial destruction). Stab a guy, grab him, bonk him on the head with your guns, toss him in the air, chainsaw him… It’s bloody fun, totally over the top, and visually arresting.

The developers, Klei Entertainment, were in fact nominated for “Excellence in Visual Style” at the 2010 Independent Games Festival. Good on them.

Look for Shank this summer on the PlayStation Network, Xbox Live Arcade and PC.